Propeller-lifter.



w. H. MICHEL. PROPELLER L|F TER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23 1916.

1,204,895. PatentedN0v.14,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w; H'. MlcHEL.

`?ROPELLER LIFTER.' 'A APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23| i916.

Amm/frs mechanism' is caused to automaticall the ropeller to a-position above the ottom UMTED STATES PATET OFFICE.

wALrEa H. MICHEL, or Passare, NEW JERSEY.

- PEorELLEE-LIETEE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov, 14, 1916,

appl'iationmeamr'ch 2s,191e. vSeriana.86,116.

To all 'whomz't may Gomera:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. MICHEL, a citizen of the United States, and-a 'resi-l `dent of Passaic, in the county of Passaic and Stateof New'Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Propeller-Lifter, of- Which the following fis a full, clear, and

exact description.` i

This invention relates to propelling mechanism for motor boats and particularly toA means for actuating the pro eller and also for raising the same when t e 'boat passes over an obstruction.

Another object in View is' to .provide a shifting mechanism for the driving mecha` nism of the propeller whereby the driving raise of t e boat.

A still further object in view is to provide a pivotally mounted construction arranged on the bottom of the boat for engaging an obstacle vand means operated thereby for shifting the driving mechanism ofthe prof. peller of vthe boat, whereby the driving mechanism will engage a pin and become automatically raised ment therewith. ,4

'In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical' sec-ix. tion through the boat showinga propelling' mechanism' and means for vautomatically manipulating thensame. whenebyfv the propeller will be lifted. Fig. 2 is a top plan view v of the structure-shown in Fig.l 3 is. an enlarged fragmentary: vertical` section.

mechanism andasse-4 ciated partsshown m Fig. 1,`the lSeltion be-- -j through the driving ingtaken approximately on line of Fig. 4. Fig. "4 is 'an-enlarged `(nl .etail vsectional. view through Fig. 3 app online44. f

Referringrto thccmpanym draw i by nllmerals, 1- indicates aboat of 45 Sima kind 'whale is .provided wie.l

whereby the eng1ne13 may be pro i' accommodates the key 8zconneeted with by continued engage-.

ranged in position for operating the' driving l shaft 4 (Flg. 3) which is connected Lwithrtlie, engine and extends into casm'g '5'rbutdoes not extend down to the propellerV 6'.' .'Th'e shaft 4 is provided with a keyway 7j which.

sleeve 9 so that when the 'driving Shaft 4 1s rotated sleeve 9 will be` rotated and as sleeve 9 is geared to the propeller 6 through operated whenever the engine is linoperatlon. The sleeve 9 a't the lower end is provided with a collar 12 which rests on a Y collar 13, collar 12 being formed integral with or rigidly-secured to'sleeve 9,` while collar 13 is rigidly secured lto the casing 14, which casing is rigidly connected with the casing 15l containing the beveled gears 10 and 11 and associated parts. Casing 14 is provided with a slot 16 for accommodating the pivotally mounted pin 17, as hereinafter fully described, Vand is also provided with a comparatively short slot 18 opposite slot 16 or at any otherconvenient point for accom-` modating the key 19. By providing the notch or slot 18 and key 19 the casing 14 bar willstrikethe obstacle, .and as the .same is pivotally mounted at 25, will move upwardly and force the bar 26 substantially longitudinally, said bar being pivotallyconnected'at'2v to bar 24, thus formin in a' certain sense a toggle arrangement. ar 26 .is pivotally connected at 28 to a flexible fred 29, said rod passing through a guiding itube 30 which guiding tubeextends for a short distance along the bottom of the boat 1, and then upwardly into well `2 so that the operative end 31-of rodv 29 normally -rests againstthe lower part of the .pin 17,- as shown :in Figs. l and 3. A spring 32 is provided `for-'normally holding the -pin in the position shown in Fig. 3, but when the rod 29 is'operated by reason of the bar 24 the gears 10 and 11 the propeller will be cannot rotatebutl may freely slide upwardly striking 'an obstacle, spring 32is overcome' and theinner end-of pin 17. is forced into the threads 33 on sleeve 19, said sleeve being threaded exteriorly from the top to near the bottom, where there is provided an annular space 34 at the bottom. If the obstacle is of an ap reciable height the same will force the pin 1 and associated parts to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3; thus the exible bar 26 will move past the end of the pin and the pin will firmly engage the threads 33 on sleeve 9.

As the driving shaft is rotating under the action ofthe engine and the sleeve9 is also rotating, this will cause the sleeve to climb quickly on the pin 17 and thereby raise the casing 15 together with propeller 6 and casing 14 and associated parts. As soon as the sleeve 19 has been raised until pin 17 engages the annular groove 34, a continued rotation of the sleeve under the action of the motor 3 will not injure any parts. The

various parts will remain in their elevated very desirable where obstructions are liable to be met with in operating in comparatively shallow water. In addition to providing this automatic means for raising the propeller the operator may, if he so desires,

4 reach down and manually raise the casing 14 and associated parts for a short distance in order to keep the propeller from striking the ground.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a propeller and a rotating shaft for operating the propeller, of means forautomatically raising the shaft and propeller, said meansA including a pivotally mounted toggle member arranged in front of the propeller and adapted to be collapsed by an obstacle.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a boat provided with a well, a propeller and an engine for driving the propeller, of a shaft extending through said well and connecting the'propeller with the engine, said shaft being provided with a threaded portion merging into an annular groove at the bottom, a sleeve surrounding said threaded portion and supporting said y shaft, a bracket connected with said well supporting said sleeve, a pin mounted `on said bracket and adapted to be inserted into said threaded portion whereby when said shaft is rotated the same will automatically move upwardly andcarry with'it said sleeve and said propeller until said pin moves into said groove, and means mounted on the botpeller, said. shaft being formed with a threaded section, a pin adapted to be moved by said movable `section into engagement with the threads of said threaded section whereby upon the rotation of. said driving shaft said shaft and propeller will be raised.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a propeller and an engine for operating the propeller, of a driving member for connecting the engine and the propeller, said driving member comprising a shaft connected with the engine and a sleeve splined to the driving shaft, said4 sleeve being threaded exteriorly, a pin adapted to be inserted into said threads, and means on the bottom of the boat for causing the pin to enter said threads'whereby the continued rotation of the sleeve will 1 cause the same to climb the pin and thereby lift the propeller out of the water.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a boat having a well, of a propelling mechanism therefor, said propelling mechanism comprising an engine, a casing supporting said engine and connected with the walls of said well, a driving shaft connected with said engine andl rotated thereby, said driving shaft extending longitudinally of said casing, an auxiliary casing normally supported by the first mentioned'casing arranged to normally support a propeller, said auxiliary casing telescopically fitting said first mentioned casing, means for preventing the rotation of said 'auxiliary casing when telescoping into the first mentioned casing, a sleeve splined to said driving shaft, said sleeve being threaded exteriorly, a propeller, means for connecting `said sleeve with said propeller so as to transmit rotary motion to the propeller, a pin, and means for operating said pin so as to cause the same to enter the threads .on said sleeve, whereby as the sleeve continues to rotate the same will climb the pin and raise said auxiliary casing and propeller upwardly. l

6. In a propeller lifter of the `character described, a driving 'member adapted to be connected to the propeller, said driving member being formed with a fixed rotary section and asection telescoping over but splined to said rotary section whereby both sections rotate together while one section moves longitudinally, said telescoping section being threaded exteriorly and connected with the propeller, a pin adapted to be inserted into the threads on said telescopmg section, pin being fixed whereby lipon the rotation of the telescoping section the seme together with the propeller will `be raised, and means actuated by a member on the bottom of the boat to which the device Vis secured for moving said pin into engage! ment with said telescoping section.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.`

WALTER H. MICHEL.

Witnesses:

' GEO. F. SCHMIDT,

CURT R. SHooKlgER. 

